Heater construction



Nov. 4 1924. 1,514,332

' F. A. NIEBERDING HEATER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Nov. 5, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 4 1924.

' F. A. NIEBERDING HEATER CONSTRUCTION 5, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov.

Nov. 4 1924. 1,514.332

F. A. NIEBERDING HEATER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Nov. 3, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 4., 1924.

rattan "ET GFFICE.

FRANK A. NIEBERDING, 02", CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HEATER CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed November 3, 1823, Serial No. 672,482. Renewed July 30, 1924.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. NIEBERDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Heater Constructions, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My present invention has to do with improvements in the construction of open front heaters and its purposes are to simplify and cheapen the construction while preserving strength, rigidity, durability, good appearance and, in general, a product of high quality.

More specific objects are to provide a heater constructed principally of sheet metal parts and wherein certain of the parts are clamped together and held securely in a definite relation to each other by opposed clamping plates or members that are connected by a single bolt or equivalent fastening means, thus greatly facilitating the assembling of the structure and insuring uniformity of product; to provide a heater of the open front type incorporating a visor at the top of the open front to protect the finish of the frame member thereabove from the intense heat, and spaced from such frame member so as to afford ventilation that tends to maintain the temperature of the frame member comparatively low and prevents transmission of heat thereto by conductivity from adjacent portions of the structure as would be the case if there were direct metallic connection between the parts; and to provide a unique support for a guard which is disposed across the open front of the heater.

The foregoing objects, with others hereinafter appearing, are attained in the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a heater embodying the lnvention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the same, certain parts being broken away to disclose further structural details; Fig. 3 is a vertical section from front to rear through the heater; Figs. i and 5 are enlarged sectional details on the lines 4-fl and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 shows, in perspective, adjacent ends of the top and side members of the front frame, and the clamping plates and bolt for securing them together, all in separated condition; Fig. 7

is a similar view of the parts occurring at one of the lower corners of the front frame; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the guard supports or brackets. i

The front frame of the structure is made up of side members 1 and 2 and a top. mem. her 3. Each side member is composed of a leg 5 (see Fig. 7) which incorporates at its upper end an ornamental clamping plate 6, formed 011 its rear side to correspond in contour with and to receive the lower end of a sheet metal molding 7. Fitting within the rear side of the molding, opposite the plate 6, is a clamping plate 10. The clamping plates, and the portion of the molding 7 therebetween, are provided with registering holes through which a bolt 11 is engaged for drawing the parts together. The head. of

the bolt 11 is preferably ornamental to hara monize with the decoration on the, plate 6. The clamping plates 10 of the two side members 1 and 2 are accurately spaced apart and secured together to av cross bar 12 that is preferably cast integral with the plates 10. This cross bar incorporates what may be referred to as sockets l5, and lugs 16 rise from the bar and serve a purpose "hereinafter to be explained.

A molding 18 forms the top member of the front frame and its ends overlap the upper ends of the molding 7. In order that the overlapping portions of said moldings may be engaged web to Web, the lower side of the end portions of moldings l8 arecut away, as indicated at 19 in Fig. 6, and the inner sides of the upper ends of the moldings 7 are likewise treated, as indicated at 20. Clamping plates 22 and 23 are adapted to be engaged with the front and rear sides,

respectively, of the overlapped ends of the moldings 7 and 18, and said plates, with the moldings, are provided with registering holes through which bolts 2a may be extended for drawing the parts firmly together when nuts, 25 are applied thereto. The mating faces of the plates 22 and 23 are formed to correspond in contour with both moldings 7 and 18that is tov say, eachplate has bearing parts corresponding in profilewith the two moldings, and the axes of said parts are at right angles to each othere -and when the parts are tightly drawn together by means of the bolt 24 and nut 25, the 1m 1 prisoned portions of the moldings, assume the shape of the plates and effect a very neat joint. The clamping plates 23 are designed to correspond with the previously mentioned ornamental plates 6. e

As will be seen by reference to Figs. 2, 4 and 7, the inner sides of the moldings 7 have rearwardly directed flanges 28 that are inset to provide shoulders 29. A sheet metal, boxlike casing, comprised of rearwardly converging side walls 30 and back wall 31, is secured to the front frame by having the flanged front edges of the side walls 30 secured, as by bolts 32, to the flanges 28 of the moldings 7, the flanged edges of said side walls engaging the rear sides of the shoulders 29. A bottom wall 35 extends forwardly from the lower edge of the back wall 31. The side walls gradually depart from the front frame below the cross bar 12, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, and their lower ends are suitably connected to the ends of the bottom wall 35. Legs 36, preferably constructed of sheet metal, are applied to the rear corners of the casing. A top wall 38, which is flanged downwardly about and connected to the upper ends of the side and back walls 30 and 31, respectively, is stiffened along its forward edges by a double flange 40. To prevent undue heating of the top wall 38, the same may be lined with a sheet 41 of asbestos or other suitable heat insulating material and a sheet metal lining 42 is applied to the underside of the insulating material, the parts being secured together by bolts or other fastening means. The rear edge portion of the lining 42 is turned downwardly and thence forwardly to form a stiff flange 43 for a purpose which will presently appear. A flue collar 44 is projected upwardly through openings in the top wall 38, sheet 41 of insulating material, and lining 42 and has a base 45 which engages the latter, the parts being fastened to gether by bolts 46. Housed within the lower portion of the casing is a burner 50 which is connected at its ends, by means of screws or bolts 51, to ledges 52 that are carried by the end walls 30. The burner incorporates a mixing tube 53 which extends downwardly and forwardly from the middle portion of the burner and terminates at its forward end at about the plane of the front frame where it has connected to it a suitable valve 55 having a handle 56. The valve is shown as con nected to a gas supply pipe 57. Within gas emitting openings 58 of the burner are suitable tips 59, and sustained above and in proper relation to said tips, as by lugs 60 that are shown as formed integral with the burner, are radiants 61 of refractory ma terial. To the rear of the radiants is a fire back 62 of similar material. The fire back is supported upon a Z-bar 63 that is secured to the back wall 31, and its upper end is engaged behind the flange 43.

Attention is called particularly to the spacing of the front edge of the top wall 38 from the underside of the top member 3 of the front frame. Extending through this space and projecting a suitable distance forwardly of the molding 18 is a visor 65 that is formed of suitable sheet metal, preferably aluminum. The rear edge portion 66 of the visor is shown as turned under and against itself and as secured to the top wall by bolts 67. After being turned abruptly downwardly over the front edge of the top wall, the visor extends forwardly and is curled under to form a tubular portion 68, the e treme edge constituting a lip 69. l Vithin the ends of this tubular portion are inserted bosses 70 of brackets 71 which have apertures 72 in their forward ends within which are journaled the outwardly bent end portions 73 of the vertical end rods 74 of a guard 7 5, the lower ends of said rods being turned inwardly to provide stops '4 6 which are arranged to engage portions of the structure. The bosses 70 of brackets 71 are substantially triangular in cross-section and coact with the lip 69 in such manner as to prevent the brackets from turning to any appreciable extent wit-h respect to the visor.

Side reflectors 78 and a bottom reflector 79, which may be constructed of any suitable sheet metal properly polished to provide reflecting surfacesthe present preferred material being aluminumare fitted into the front of the casing, the side reflectors extending back along side the end radiants and the bottom reflector terminating at its rear edge forwardly of the burner. The outwardly turned edge portions 80 of the side reflectors 78 engage the shoulders 29 of the moldings 7, while the downwardly flanged front edge 81 of the bottom reflector 79 is arranged to bear against the lugs 16 of the cross bar 12. At their front top corners, the side reflectors may be secured to the end walls 30 by bolts 82; and a hearth plate 84, that is removably attached to the front of the casing by having ears 85 that are engaged within the sockets 15 of the cross bar 12, abut the flange 81 of the bottom reflect-or 79 and thus secure the reflector against displacement at their lower ends. A skirt 86 depends from the front edge of the hearth plate and at its ends engages lugs 87 which extend inwardly from the clamping plates 10, thereby to maintain the hearth in horizontal position. a

It will be observed that the rear edges of. the brackets 71 engage against the flanges 80 of the side reflectors and are consequently held against disarrangement. Thus a very simple yet equally effective means is provided for liingedly connecting the guard 75 to the heater; and when it is desired to light the heater, or gain access to the interior thereof for any purpose, the guard may be swung up out of the way.

To prevent the radiants 61 from tilting forwardly, a rod 89 is extended across the top portion of the casing and is supported in the end walls 30,

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that my invention provides a simple and inexpensive construction and one which may be very easily manufactured and assembled. It is also apparent that the heater is particularly convenient of installation and use. Discoloration of the ten member of the front framea fault common to heaters of this classis prevented by the spacing of said member from the top wall of the casing; the presence of the visor 65 and the ventilation resulting from this construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is z 1. An open front heater comprising a front frame and a casing to the rear thereof, the top member of the front frame be ing spaced from the top of the casing, and a burner situated within the casing.

2. An open front heater comprising a front frame and a casing to the rear thereof, the top member of the front frame being spaced from the top of the casing, a visor extending forwardly from the top of the casing beneath the top member of said frame, and a burner situated within the casing.

3. An open front heater comprising a front frame and a casing to the rear thereof, the top of the casing having its front edge spaced below the top member of the front frame, avisor having a part engaged over and attached to the top of the casing and another part projecting downwardly and forwardly therefrom, and a burner situated within the casing.

4. An open front heater comprising a front frame and a casing to the rear thereof, the front edge portion of the top of the casing being spaced downwardly from the top member of the front frame, heatinsulating material incorporated in the top wall of the casing, and a burner situated within the casing.

An open front heater comprising a front frame and a casing to the rear thereof, the front edge portion of the top of the casing being spaced downwardly from the top member of the front frame, hert in sulating material incorporated in the top wall of the casing, a visor projecting forwardly from the top of the casing beneath the top member of said frame, and a burner situated within the casing.

6. A heater comprising an open front (using, a lining applied to the inner side of the top wall thereof and having its rear edge turned downwardly and spaced from the rear wall of the casing, a fire back support extending along the rear wall within the lower portion of the casing, a fire back,

sustained by said support and having its upper edge disposed rearwardly of the flange of thelining, and a burner situated within the lower portion of the casing forwardly of the fire back.

7. A heater comprising an open front casing, a sheet of insulating material applied to the inside of the top wall of the casing, a lining engaged against the underside of the sheet of insulating material and having its rear edge turned downwardly and spaced from the rear wall of the casing, a fire back support within the lower portion of the casing, a fire back sustained by said support and having its upper edge disposed rearwardly of the flange of the lining, and a burner situated within the lower portion of the casing forwardly of the fire back.

8. An open front heater comprising a front frame and a casing to the rear thereof, the side walls of the casing being connected to the side members of the front frame and the front portion of the top wall being spaced from the top member of the front frame and a burner situated within the casing.

9. An open front heater comprising a front frame the side members whereof have inwardly extending shoulders terminating in rearwardly directed flanges, a casing to the rear of the front frame and having its side walls connected to said flanges, a burner situated within the casing, and side reflectors disposed inside the end walls of the casing and having outwardly extending flanges at their forward edges which engage the shoulders of the side members of the front frame, and means for maintaining the reflectors in place.

10. An open front heater comprising a front frame the side members whereof have inwardly extending shoulders terminating in rearwardly directed flanges, a casing to the rear of the front frame and having its side walls connected to said flanges and the front portion of its top wall spaced from the top member of the front frame, a burner situated within the casing, and side reflectors disposed inside the end walls of the casing and having outwardly extending flanges at their forward edges which engage the shoulders of the side members of the front frame, and means for maintaining the reflectors in place.

11. An open front heater comprising a front frame the side members whereof have inwardly extending shoulders terminating in rearwardly directed flanges, a casing to the rear of the front frame and having its side walls connected to said flanges, a burner situated within the lower portion of thecasing, bottom and side reflectors disposed within the front portion of the casing and extending from the front frame rearwardly, the bottom reflector terminat- 19. In an open front heater, :1 front frame comprising Vertical side members and a horizontaltop member, each side member being composed of a sheet metal molding, a leg incorporating at its upper end a clamping plate the inner side whereof is of a shape complementary to that of the molding, the lower end of she molding being fitted to the inner side of the clamping plate, a second clamping plate occupying the interior of the molding and arranged in opposed relation to the first mentioned clamping plate, the clamping plates and molding having registering holes, a fastening device extending through said holes for binding the parts together, a cross bar connecting together the inner clamping plates of the two side members, the cross bar incorporating sockets, the inner clamping plates having lugs spaced below the cross bar, and ahearth plate having lugs engaged "ith'in the sockets, the hearth plate having a skirt depending from its forward edge and the ends whereof areadapted'to engage the lugs of the clamping plates.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afix my signature.

FRANK A. NIEBERDING, 

